With a PET-CT we check whether there is a (threatened) oxygen deficiency in the heart. This is done with a PET-CT camera.
- If you are unable to come (at least 24 hours in advance).
- If you are difficult to pierce.
- If you cannot lie with 1 arm above your head.
- If you need care.
- If you are (possibly) pregnant or breastfeeding.
Home preparation
- On the day of the examination, you may eat and drink as usual.
- Put on comfortable clothing.
Have you completed the digital questionnaire?
You have received a questionnaire by email. Would you like to fill it in for the survey and return it to us?
If you have not received this email, it may be that:
- your e-mail address is not yet known to Isala;
- the e-mail has ended up in the ‘Junk e-mail’ folder;
- you have already completed the questionnaire at a previous heart examination.
What should you bring to the examination?
- the completed consent letter;
- an up-to-date medication overview (if you bring this with you, you do not have to fill in on the form which medicines you are taking).
In the preparation room you will receive an explanation of how the examination is going. You can also ask questions. You will then receive an IV in your arm. You then go to the PET-CT room. Here we ask you to take off your sweater, shirt, T-shirt or blouse. You will have EKG patches placed on your upper body.
During the scan you will lie on a fairly narrow bed. You lie on your back with your arms above your head. The lab technician connects the ECG to check your heart rhythm. You will also receive a blood pressure monitor on your arm.
If a CT scan calcium score has been requested by your doctor, we will start with this. With this scan we check whether there are calcifications in the coronary arteries of your heart. And if so, how big these calcifications are.
Then we take an overview photo of your chest. This is how we determine the exact location of your heart. We then make a CT scan of your heart.
After the CT scan, we record your heart at rest. We inject the radioactive liquid Rubidium-82 through the drip. Then we make the PET scan. The PET scan takes about 7 minutes.
The lab technician will keep an eye on you via cameras during the examination. He or she also hears what you say. So you can tell us how you feel at any time.
Which radioactive liquid is used during the study?
The radioactive substance we use is called Rubidium-82. This substance is not dangerous to your health. The substance has already disappeared from your body as soon as you leave the ward. Rubidium-82 is widely used both in the Netherlands and in the rest of the world. The drug is not yet registered in the Netherlands. That is why we ask your permission to use it.
The radioactive material is not dangerous to your health. The substance disappears from your body on its own within a few hours.
Risks when administering radioactive material
If you have to undergo an examination in the nuclear medicine department, you will usually be given a radioactive substance through a needle or an IV into a blood vessel. The following side effects may occur.
- Regular: bruise (hematoma) at the site of application
- Rare: The needle or IV is not positioned properly and the radioactive material does not enter the bloodstream. This can sometimes be painful for a short time.
A nuclear medicine doctor and a cardiologist will review the pictures taken of your heart. You will receive the result from your treating specialist.
If you have any questions, you can call:
Nuclear medicine
088 624 52 38 (available from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Can not you come? Let us know quickly and we will make a new appointment.